Mass Effect: Legacy Unborn
by Mothbanquet
Summary: Sometimes when great heroes arise, others are pushed aside. This Mass Effect as you've never seen it before, where a single choice has thrown all into question and the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. One man must find the strength within himself to live up to his untold potential and save the lives of all from a deadly, ancient terror.
1. Prologue

**MASS EFFECT: LEGACY UNBORN**

***PROLOGUE***

A merry cheer rang through the room. It was only a small home, hardly big enough to contain so many but it was still comfortable nonetheless. The sunlight shone through creamy curtains, grazing the white walls in soft bars and in front of them, shadows stretched out. Arms reached over to hug the young man who, as always, laughed at being the centre of attention.

Men and women old and young stepped forward to congratulate him. He gave them loud, eager thanks and clapped them on the shoulder. A small girl came forward and wrapped her arms around the leg of his dark blue Alliance combat trousers, only to be snatched up, giggling.

'Are you going to space soon, Uncle Richard?' the girl asked sweetly. She was only five, with a ponytail of blonde hair and a mouth smeared with chocolate cake.

Jenkins grinned widely at his niece and bounced her gently in his arms. 'You first, Cheri! You ready?'

The little girl nodded vigorously and squealed as Jenkins lifted her into the air.

'Lift off!' he shouted, to the joy of all onlookers. 'You ready to go through the relay?'

'Ready!' Cheri confirmed with a wiggle of her legs.

'Okay, hold on!' he replied. There was little room in the lounge, and so a space was cleared for Jenkins as he carried her through into the master bedroom, ignoring the warnings from her mother to be careful. 'Oh no!' he cried, 'It's a batarian cruiser!'

'Shields!' Cheri yelled out. 'Use the kintetic barriers! Fire the lasers!'

Jenkins looked up at her, his eyes bright and blue beneath a dark beret. His arms were roped with wiry muscle and it was no effort to bring the child swooping down to the ground.

'Their shields are too strong!' he shouted back to her as he brought her back into the living room. The eyes of all glistened with pride and happiness at the affection on display. 'We're not going to make it, we have to land!'

It was an early end to the game and Jenkins would have given anything to continue it but there was little enough time already. Reluctantly, he set Cheri down on her feet and received a grateful hug.

'I'll miss you, Uncle Richard,' she said quietly.

Jenkins smiled again and placed a hand on her head. 'It's all right, I'll be home on leave soon. Behave for your mommy and daddy, okay?'

'If I'm good will you bring me back a Lancer?' Her eyes were wide and innocent and a few among the adults stifled a laugh.

Jenkins knew the request for a high-powered assault rifle was completely genuine and so he tilted his head, not willing to risk an argument with the young lady. 'Maybe when you're a little older, kiddo.'

He looked up then to where his relatives stood watching, smiling warmly in approval. He returned the gesture and rose to his feet. 'Thank you all for coming,' he said. 'Seriously, I...I never expected any of this. It's just a real honour to have so many awesome family and friends here to say goodbye.'

The small crowd chuckled amongst themselves and an older man with dark hair spoke over them, 'You just remember us when you're out there saving the galaxy, okay?'

For a moment, Jenkins was overwhelmed. His boots felt heavier than usual as he paced across the room. He came to the window and squinted against the gentle sun.

It was late afternoon and the light was beginning to fade from Eden Prime. The settlement in which they lived was nothing more than a few stacks of converted prefab cabins, 'stitched' together to form apartments in the shelter of lush green hills. Beyond, fields had been tilled, ready to be sown. The earth was rich and black, and the crops grown there would help feed the expansion of the Systems Alliance.

Still smiling, Jenkins took a breath of the clean air. It was pure and beautiful, not at all like what he'd heard about Earth, with its rampant pollution and overpopulation. Eden Prime was a paradise by comparison, or so people said.

His mother stepped forward, away from the rest. Even over fifty, she was stunning, with long brown hair that shimmered as she moved. She lifted a glass of champagne - a drink they could barely afford - and in a smooth voice said, 'To Private Richard Jenkins, pride of the Alliance Marines!'

'Private Jenkins!' the others concurred, and they clinked their glasses together enthusiastically.

Jenkins took a drink as it was offered and downed it in a single gulp. He had earned the celebration. The rigours of basic training had made his body into a fit, strong machine and he had all the energy in the world. Now was a good time to drink, laugh and look forward to the excitement ahead.

His mother approached him. 'You're packed, right? I don't want you to forget anything.'

'Mom, I told you already, don't worry! I got everything I need and the Alliance will provide the rest. All I need is my credit chit, my omni-tool, my kit,' he gestured behind her, to where a large duffel bag stood propped against the wall, 'and maybe a few batarians to shoot along the way. So just enjoy the party, okay? For me?'

He brought a hand to his mother's arm and she beamed at him tearfully. Embarrassed, she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, sighing, 'I thought I'd gotten all of this out of me when you shipped out for basic. Here I am though, yet again, balling my eyes out.' She straightened and sniffed deeply to calm herself. 'Sorry. You don't need me weeping like this, I just...I just wish your father were here to see you now.'

Jenkins' eyes drifted over her shoulder to where a framed picture sat upon a small polished wooden table. A handsome man grinned back at him, teeth white and straight beneath a neat Marine's crew cut. A newborn baby lay in his arms, with eyes as blue as the skies behind them. The numbers _'2131-2160'_ had been scrawled in the corner.

'I know,' he said, hushing her. He drew her into an embrace. 'Do you think he'd be proud too?'

'I know it, Richard. We _all_ are.'

The whine of a shuttle invaded their privacy and Jenkins leaned forward slightly to look out of the window. An Alliance-blue Kodiak shuttle landed with a flare of white from its thrusters and Jenkins felt a new urgency rise as the moment he had been waiting for became real.

'I'm going to miss you,' he told his mother before lifting his head to take in everyone who had come to see him off. 'I'm going to miss all of you. Take care of yourselves and I'll see you when I get back on leave, all right?'

They all answered at once, drowning him in a tide of well-wishes. He made his way to the door, clasping hands, hugging and patting the backs of all those standing in his way. When he finally came to the door, it slid aside to reveal the fresh, cool countryside.

He loved the small, peaceful colony but the time had come. He hefted his kit bag, slinging it over a shoulder. Though his heart was filled with sadness for those he was leaving behind, Private Jenkins was smiling.


	2. Chapter 1

**MASS EFFECT: LEGACY UNBORN**

***CHAPTER 1***

The sleeper pod hissed sharply, stealing away the last of Jenkins' thoughts. He kept his eyes closed, trying to will back the images and scents of home as he felt cool air blast his skin.

'Rise and shine, gorgeous,' he heard a voice call out from somewhere but in the blankness of his mind, Jenkins could not tell who it was.

'Mom?' he murmured sleepily.

A loud burst of laughter woke him and he blinked sleepily at the flat, square face of Private Fredricks.

Fredricks was a fellow marine and had the good fortune of having to wake Jenkins up every day in time for his watch. The private was young, with a stocky build and cratered skin, and his blonde hair was so bright it always made Jenkins want to rub his eyes.

'Mom?' Fredricks echoed, just loud enough to get an encore of laughter from everyone in earshot. 'Man, I hope that ain't wishful thinking on your part, Jenkins!'

'Very funny,' the corporal mumbled as he climbed out of the pod. He was fully-clothed in his blues, having dressed well in advance of his all-too-short pod time and he leaned over the vertically-mounted tube, squinting in suspicion. 'Who sets the timers on these things?' he asked as he tapped the glass with a finger. 'I swear, I only got an hour that time. Adams and his boys check these things, right?'

Fredricks laughed again, 'If they do, I ain't ever seen 'em. Anyway, come on, out of the way. My rack time's slipping away here.'

'Yeah, yeah, I'll give you rack time.' Jenkins joked. He dug into Fredricks' ribs with a few mock blows before making his way to the lockers at the end of the pod rows. The area was joined onto the mess hall and through it, the _SSV Normandy's_ off-going watch trailed. Most of them were black-eyed and gaunt, having drawn the short straw of working through both the Normandy's launch and mass relay transit.

Jenkins spotted Serviceman Helen Lowe as she stood from the dining table. Her hair was shorter than anyone else's on the crew, being little more than a haze of brown across her bare scalp but her face was defined and pretty, with dark eyes that latched onto him as he banged on his locker to unstick the door.

'Hey, Jenkins, did Fredricks tell you? We got our destination while you were napping. None other than your home base, Eden Prime!'

The mention of the planet that had fed and sheltered Jenkins as he grew up caught his attention instantly. Any drowsiness he still felt was pushed aside. 'Whoa, are you serious? How come they're sending a cutting-edge warship like the Normandy to a backwater planet like Eden Prime?'

Lowe shrugged. 'Nobody knows. It's something we're all trying to figure out, hell, scuttlebug says Adams is running a pool on why we're out here. Even Navigator Pressley's bitching like an old lady. Negulesco's buying the captain's line that we're just going out there to spy on the locals to test out the stealth systems but I don't believe it.'

'Me neither,' Jenkins agreed thoughtfully. 'There're a lot of planets closer to Arcturus. It doesn't make sense to come this far out for a shakedown run unless it's for a reason. Hell, we're carrying a Spectre for cryin' out loud.'

Leaning against the row of lockers, Lowe looked past him for a moment and nodded back towards the mess hall. 'Speak of the devil.'

Glancing over his shoulder, Jenkins' face went slack with awe at the sight of a dark, prowling figure. It was indeed the Spectre, easily distinguished from the rest of the crew if only by way of being the only alien aboard. All Jenkins actually knew about the man was his name.

'Nihlus,' he said quietly, his eyes tracking the turian operative until the dark spikes of his crest disappeared up the stairs to the command deck. 'Man, I can't believe we've got a Spectre aboard. Those guys are like, the best of the best in a whole galaxy of the best! Imagine having the freedom to do or kill anything and anyone you want and at the end of the day, the Council throws you a hero's parade.'

'That _is_ what they say in the vids but you know better than to believe any of that, right? Superheroes with guns, saving the galaxy from evil terrorists and alien right-wingers?'

Jenkins cocked a brow. 'Can't a guy enjoy the fantasy? Either way, you can't argue that they must see some serious action.' Turning back to his locker, Jenkins sighed longingly. ' I'd kill for the chance to be a Spectre, even just for a day.'

'_You_, a Spectre?' Lowe scoffed. 'Jenkins, if that ever happened I think I'd climb into the main gun of a dreadnought and point myself at the nearest solar body.'

'Ouch,' Jenkins said with a wince. 'You really think I'd suck that bad?'

For a moment, her expression softened. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'You know we all have a lot of respect for you but you don't have a shred of combat experience. Even _if_ the Council started letting humans into the Spectres, they'd be looking for someone like Captain Anderson, or even Commander Shepard.'

Shepard. Just meeting the Normandy's Executive Officer had rendered Jenkins starstruck. Few in the Alliance military had as impressive a record as the commander and most doubted anyone would again. The very thought of it made Jenkins' stomach grow tight with inadequacy.

'I guess you're right,' he finally replied before grinning at Lowe madly. 'But seriously, can you imagine how cool it would be? I mean can you, Helen Lowe, just suspend your joy-killing disbelief for just a sec and tell me how cool it'd be?'

Lowe laughed and shook her head. 'Damn, there's just no getting through to you, is there? Just go. If you hurry you might catch a glimpse of your heroes up there,' she said, cocking her head up towards the bridge and CIC.

Jenkins fitted his beret to his head and adjusted it until the Alliance badge lay squarely over his left eye. He spoke as he backed away rapidly towards the command deck access. 'I'll get you an autograph, I promise!'

The remark made Lowe chuckle, the sound disappearing rapidly as Jenkins thundered up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

**~~ME:LU~~**

The elevator door rattled slightly as it lifted to reveal the Normandy's hangar bay. Jenkins adjusted his beret and stepped inside, immediately squinting as his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness while his nose filled with the scent of musty machine oil. To his right, a massive Mako armoured vehicle sat idle and before it stood the quartermaster, Serviceman First Class Marcus Grieco.

Jenkins nodded a greeting to him as he passed and veered to the left, towards a row of lockers and a small workbench. Just like Grieco, he had some responsibilities that would have usually gone to an NCO and one of them was maintaining the ship's armoury. Bringing up his omni-tool, he logged the withdrawal of a Lancer assault rifle and with deliberate care, laid it on the bench and began to strip it down for cleaning.

He knew the weapons inside out. He had to. To make corporal without a 'real' tour of duty under his belt had taken more hard work than Jenkins had ever thought himself capable of. Coming from a one-horse colony hadn't done him any favours in a peaceful galaxy and despite the horror stories told of the First Contact War, Jenkins found himself wishing for a second one just to break the monotony.

A familiar voice stole into his thoughts, making him drop the component he was working on.

'Hey, you!' Serviceman Talitha Draven called out from the narrow passageway to the drive core room.

Jenkins winced slightly as his fingers slipped across the part he'd been holding, his hands smearing the work surface with mucky brown oil.

'Hey!' he managed in reply, though the sound was as much a frustrated grunt as a word.

Draven jogged over to him, her short bob of tawny brown hair bouncing as she came to a halt. 'So I saw you talking to Commander Shepard earlier.'

The opportunity for ship-wide fame beckoned, and Jenkins responded without hesitation. Setting down the Lancer, he gave Draven a winning smile. 'Sure was. Just so happened the commander wanted my expert opinion on Eden Prime, and why I think we're heading out there.'

It was only half a lie. While Shepard had indeed approached him, Jenkins had been far too amazed the commander had spoken to him at all to offer any useful information. Any 'expert opinion' he'd had was lost amid over-eager ramblings, with Jenkins putting his foot firmly in his mouth at the mention of one of Shepard's past missions. Of course, Draven did not need to know that.

'And you said...what?' she asked, her eyes wide with amazement.

Jenkins shrugged as if the weight of the galaxy were on his shoulders. 'Sorry, that's classified. If I told you, either my new buddy Nihlus or I'd have to kill you and I'm not even kidding!'

Grieco called out to him from across the bay. 'You're so full of crap, Jenkins! Don't listen to him, Talitha. The only thing that's classified around here is his little thing with you-know-who!'

'Ah yes,' Draven murmured. She saw Jenkins' expression falter and matched it with a sly grin, like a wolf smelling blood. 'Come to mention it, you _were_ getting cozy with Doctor Chakwas again up there, and in front of the whole CIC this time.'

Jenkins scoffed. '_Phst,_ that's crazy. The doc's a nice lady and let me tell both of you, you should appreciate an MO who has the time for us enlisted grunts. It's the sign of a good officer.'

'It's a sign that you're in _love_,' Draven teased, leaning on the workbench. 'Come on, admit it. You've got a thing for the older ladies. Why else would you spend so much time with her?'

Straightening, Jenkins turned back to his work, picking up the scattered Lancer parts to begin again. 'We just enjoy talking from time to time, that's all,' he said, seriously. 'There's nothing wrong with that and it doesn't mean what you're implying. It _is_ possible to, you know, have a conversation with someone without romance being involved.'

'Oh sure, and I just bet the good doctor gets herself lost in those big blues of yours.'

Draven had leaned forward to coo the last few words and she did not have time to back away as Jenkins' hand swept out, cuffing her across the head.

'You can get lost yourself, I'm trying to work here. In fact, do me a favour and grab a few grade B-sevens. I need to get into the Storms and I think engineering's been into the tool box again.'

Being a lowly serviceman third-class, Draven immediately shed the mockery of moments before and did as she was told with snappish professionalism. She nodded once and made her way to the drive core chamber, still smiling.

Releasing a breath, Jenkins went back to his task. He did not notice the elevator door open again behind him, though the voice that came moments later made him drop the Lancer parts for a second time.

'Corporal,' Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko announced as he strode into the bay. His voice was smooth, perfectly suiting his handsome looks and head of short black hair.

Instinctively, Jenkins braced to attention, pushing his shoulders back as he turned to face his direct superior. He saluted cleanly. 'Sir, is there problem? 'Cause I swear, I'd have finished the Lancers by now if it wasn't for-'

'Relax,' Alenko reassured him, holding up a hand. 'I'm not here about the armoury, I know you were kept behind by Commander Shepard earlier. Look, Jenkins, I don't have much time to explain, but...' For a moment, Alenko looked hesitant. He lowered his voice and moved a step closer. 'We have a situation on Eden Prime. Captain Anderson needs a ground team suited up ASAP to assist Commander Shepard and Nihlus on an emergency evac mission.'

The words rang in Jenkins' ears and it took a few seconds for them to sink in. 'They want me?' he whispered harshly, his eyes widening. 'Are you serious, _Eltee?_ I'm going down there with Shepard and a Spectre?'

Kaidan's lips curled into a smile at the corporal's naked enthusiasm. 'You wanted to see action, kid, well this is it. Now gear up, the captain'll be down here shortly for a briefing.'

Jenkins barely had the presence of mind to slot his Lancer back together. He managed a new personal record as he assembled the rifle in mere seconds and sped back to the elevator, cursing its slowness as it carried him back up to the crew deck.

**~~ME:LU~~**

The thought hadn't occurred to Jenkins to ask anyone what the 'situation' on Eden Prime was exactly. Maybe if he had, the first sight of his homeworld wouldn't have left him cold and trembling in his armour.

It was like a scene from a nightmare. The colourful skies and fields of Eden Prime had been stained a sickly red, the land dotted with the smoke of fires. Flashes lit up the low-lying cloud; raging battles that Jenkins heard as distant, soft crackles over the wind. The air was no longer sweet and fresh. Now it was like breathing in ash. It was all wrong and Jenkins could only stand speechless as his homeworld burned.

Commander Shepard led the small group onward, the fabled red-striped N7 armour no more than a hazy shape before Jenkins' eyes.

He wanted to say something to the commander, or to the lieutenant but they showed no emotion, no sign that they were affected by the destruction around them. Swallowing his grief, Jenkins tried to do the same.

The team passed through a narrow gap in the hills, where a small river sliced through the grass and mud and the ground opened out into a wide slope. It was not a difficult rise but the ground was broken, with over a dozen large, dark chunks of rock littering the grass.

The scene felt odd to Jenkins. Something was awry but how, he could not tell. Nerves pulled at his stomach, making him feel nauseous but he hid it all well, his eyes locked straight ahead behind his visor, looking just over his Lancer's scope.

Shepard held up a hand to wave him on, but stopped. The moment held with only the faraway battle to break the silence though that too was dimming, like the curtain falling upon an orchestra.

Jenkins' eyes broke away from the slope and hung over Shepard, his ever fibre straining as he anticipated the order.

Then, slowly, Shepard's hand fell. The commander stalked forward, weapon up and trained on the tree line at the top of the hill.

Jenkins watched, then frowned at a sudden buzzing sound came over his helmet amp. He shook his head slightly, assuming it to be interference.

He had to speak. 'Anybody else hear that? I can't tell if it's just me.'

Alenko glanced over at him and nodded. 'Now that you mention it, yeah. That low humming noise, right?'

Shepard had stopped to look back at them and Jenkins met the commander's gaze, his expression worried until something else caught his eye. Three shapes detached from the distant trees; sleek, round with a metallic sheen.

Jenkins shouted a warning but it was too late.

The combat drones opened fire, spitting rounds of searing blue out upon them with a force that made Jenkins hit the deck on instinct. He pushed himself into the dirt and did the only thing he could do, the only thing his training allowed him to do - return fire.

The drones were fast. The machines wove from side to side as Shepard and Alenko tried to shoot back, their rounds either falling short or hitting the hillside in sprays of brown dirt. They scrambled for cover but the weight of fire was too strong.

Jenkins wanted to cry out as pale slugs snapped over his head. The panic was all too real, mixing with the exhilaration of battle in a way that the simulations could never have prepared him for. The clatter of gunfire seemed chaotic and his mind raced as it frantically tried to make sense of it all.

And yet it all vanished, disappearing into numbness as his eyes fell upon Shepard.

The commander was out in the open and the drones instantly focused on the vulnerable target. Shepard's body convulsed as the drones concentrated their fire, shields snapping in an instant to be replaced with the horrifying, wet cracks of splintering armour.

Jenkins stared open-mouthed in horror as after only a few seconds, Commander Shepard collapsed lifeless to the ground.


	3. Chapter 2

**MASS EFFECT: LEGACY UNBORN**

***Chapter 2***

The last of the geth drones crashed to the ground, smoke rising like a departing soul from its shattered frame. Alenko edged towards it cautiously, a biotic barrier wrapped around his body in a shimmering blue shield.

Jenkins watched him. The corporal's mouth was dry, his eyes wide under his visor. His whole body shook as the adrenaline of combat charged his blood and the realisation he was not dead finally sunk in. Some part of him acknowledged it was his first time under fire, though the fact seemed moot under the circumstances.

His eyes drifted to Shepard, whose body still lay bleeding on the grass. There was no movement though Jenkins longed to get close enough to make sure. After all, the rise and fall of a breathing chest was subtle and nigh-impossible to spot in a combat suit.

As if reading his thoughts, Alenko holstered his pistol and jogged over to Shepard's body. Jenkins twitched with the urge to keep his weapon trained on the top of the hill but his fearful curiosity was too great. Rising from the ground, he joined the lieutenant in his inspection of the fallen soldier.

'Shepard's gone,' Alenko murmured as he approached, then looked at Jenkins in disbelief. 'The commander is _dead.'_

The words hit Jenkins like a slug to the back and he swayed gently on the spot, his head swimming. He asked the first question that came to mind, 'What are we 'gonna do, Eltee?'

Alenko tensed his jaw as his gaze passed over the body again. His answer was husky, pushed grudgingly from his throat. 'I'm not sure. We can't retrieve the beacon, not with just the two of us.' Reaching to his ear, he stood up as a secure connection was made. 'Nihlus, this is Lieutenant Alenko. We have a situation here.'

Nihlus' reply was a growl over their earpieces. He sounded as Jenkins imagined a Spectre to sound - grim, authoritative and dangerous. 'I'm listening, Lieutenant.'

'Commander Shepard is dead,' Alenko explained without preamble. 'We were ambushed by combat drones, though I can't tell who they belong to. Their design is...strange, unlike anything I've ever seen before.'

'I encountered some myself earlier...and more besides.'

The Spectre paused then and Jenkins exchanged a nervous glance with Alenko. Neither man knew what to do next and both felt the same apprehension at facing the unknown.

'Shepard's death changes things,' Nihlus finally said. 'Our priority is still the beacon but the area is too hot to risk the Normandy picking you two up. I'm forwarding the co-ordinates of a small forest near the dig site. We'll rendezvous there and decide what to do.'

The line cut out with a click and Alenko looked at Jenkins, his features set into an unreadable mask. 'Mark the location of the body,' he murmured, nodding down to Shepard. 'We'll make sure the commander gets a proper burial when all this is over.'

Jenkins moved his lips, trying in vain to get rid of the constant taste of ash. Under the clouds of blood, he dipped his head. 'Aye, Sir.'

He had wanted to say he hoped his family hadn't suffered Shepard's fate but the moment seemed wrong. His fears, like all his other reservations, would have to be pushed aside for now.

**~~ME:LU~~**

Nihlus paced back and forth, his boots leaving deep prints in the grass. His dark mandibles pulsed while he thought and his hands were folded behind his back, giving him an air of superiority that went naturally with his rank. After a time, he turned a white-painted face to Alenko.

'The Council have been receiving reports of strange ships leaving the Perseus Veil for many months. They always fled from the probes and scout ships we sent out, retreating back into deep space and after some time, the Council deemed them not worth the bother. Many, myself included, believed that to be a mistake. What we're seeing here today is proof of that.'

Jenkins listened without facing them, choosing instead to keep watch at their backs. It was an easy task, one that kept his senses keen and his mind from wandering. The last thing he needed was to dwell on the death of the commander he had admired his entire professional life.

They had taken refuge under a high bank of rock, over which trees hung their weeping branches while their roots curled around the edge like twisted fingers. The overhanging leaves gave them cover from aerial reconnaissance while the forest closed on them from the other side to create only two narrow avenues of approach.

Alenko was sitting on a grey boulder, another of the mysterious chunks of rock that lay scattered throughout the area. He had known Shepard for no longer than Jenkins and yet he seemed just as drained by the loss, if not more. The lines were clear to read in his weary, anxious face. He had expected to follow orders on this mission, not give them.

He replied while staring out into the trees, 'I've never seen anything like it. Those things just ripped through Shepard's shields. The commander never even stood a chance.' He sighed with exhaustion and ran his hands down his face before looking to Nihlus. 'What the hell are they?'

Nihlus came to a stop. 'They are called the geth.'

'The geth?' Jenkins asked, turning to them. 'I've heard of them before, but I thought they were just a spook story for the Traversers?'

'Alien synthetics, right?' Alenko offered. 'Machines?'

Nodding, Nihlus resumed his methodical pacing. 'They were created by the quarians three centuries ago as a source of manual labour. Over time they gained sentience and turned on their masters, sending the quarians into exile and remaining hidden ever since. Their status as a myth is well-earned, Corporal Jenkins. No one has seen or heard anything from the geth in hundreds of years.'

'Until now,' Jenkins added, bitterly.

'Until now,' Nihlus echoed. The turian halted between them and straightened, his voice becoming a commanding snap. 'I don't know why the geth are here but I think it's safe to assume it's for the same reason we are. The prothean beacon _must_ be secured, no matter the cost.'

Alenko stood up, drawing his attention. 'We're a man down already, Nihlus. I respect your abilities as much as anyone but we're at a serious disadvantage here. We need to fall back and wait for reinforcements.'

Nihlus' tone darkened and he stared hard at the lieutenant. 'I _am_ your reinforcements. If you want to remain here with Corporal Jenkins then be my guest. After all, I'm used to working alone. Bear in mind, however that Commander Shepard would have persevered had either one of you two fallen. You can honour the commander's memory by showing the same courage, or you can stay. It is up to you.'

Jenkins stepped forward, unable to contain himself. 'He's right, Eltee. Shepard would go on, no matter what, right? We _have_ to complete the mission.'

'Your enthusiasm is noted, Corporal,' Alenko said dismissively.

Unfazed, Jenkins pressed closer. He had to make his superior understand. 'Look, Sir, this was my home. I used to sit on a hill not far from here as a kid and look at the lights coming from the main settlement. I used to watch the off-world shuttles fly into dock and in the year before I joined up I volunteered to help out with the local monorail construction. Now everything's burning and these geth are killing everyone they find. I'm not going to disobey orders, Sir but _please_, we have to go with Nihlus. For the colony's sake, if nothing else.'

The pressure was a clear weight on Alenko's chest. It pushed the breath from his lungs in a single, long hiss from his nostrils. 'All right, Nihlus. You're in charge for now.'

Nodding, Nihlus strode past them, his pistol bared. His grey and red armour made him a shadow against the forest and his voice suited it perfectly, 'You've made the right decision, Lieutenant. One man or woman never matters in the face of the mission. Boots can be filled, armour worn but the task itself always remains. Commander Shepard will be honoured as befits a soldier of such prestige. For now, the best we can do is succeed.'

The Spectre's feet crunched on the dry ground as he made his way forward. Despite it all, Jenkins managed a half-smile. He spoke quietly to Alenko as they followed, 'It could be worse, Eltee. At least we've got a Spectre on the team!'

Kaiden looked straight ahead, at the back of the turian who now led them. His voice was barely a whisper, 'Yeah. It certainly could be worse all right.'

**~~ME-LU~~**

The dig site was at the bottom of a narrow basin of land, nestled between two green hills. The ruin itself was anything but crumbling. Where Jenkins expected to see an ancient temple or a shattered monolith there was a circle of flawless stone, inscribed with tessellated ridges across its entire surface. Thin, curved columns of varying height reached into the sky around the circle's edge, made of the same stone so they blended into it perfectly.

'I can't believe there were prothean ruins on Eden Prime all this time,' he said quietly as the team crept down towards the site. 'Right here, under our feet. Hell, I must've walked over them at least a dozen times.'

'They probably said the same thing about Mars,' Alenko replied, 'and we've been looking up at that planet since we first appeared on the Earth. Still, I'd rather it had stayed buried if it would have avoided all this.'

Jenkins had to agree. The horizon was smeared with smoke and beyond the dig site it was worse than anywhere else. The corporal ached to scratch a sore spot on his face, where a piece of stone had chipped during the drone attack, scoring a red line across his cheek.

Nihlus led them into the rolling folds of earth, his weapon constantly scanning the smoke-filled horizon. Many of the fires were miles away, pouring from massive vertical tower-settlements but the smoke they belched mingled with the clouds, turning them black. Nihlus took cover behind a square hunk of stone and his brows pressed together at what he saw.

Jenkins' heart sped as Nihlus gestured to them, urging them to keep low. Alenko hissed a question to him as they joined him in the shelter of the boulder. 'What is it? Can you see the beacon?'

'No. Only hostiles,' Nihlus answered. He showed only a thin sliver of his head as he took a peek over the top.

Jenkins copied the action and his eyes widened as he spotted several men in the distance, clustered around the dig site. No - not men. They were the wrong shape, even for turians or salarians. At first Jenkins saw the gleaming, cold blue metal as armour but it wasn't. It was their bodies. Slim, curved bodies with equally bent legs and three-fingered hands, and a neck that didn't end with a head but with a single white lamp.

'Geth?' he whispered, unable to take his eyes away from them.

Nihlus nodded once. 'They match the descriptions given in both the Council's historical archives and the reports sent in by the few probes that managed to track their rare appearances.'

'Reports the Council ignored,' Alenko muttered under his breath.

Nihlus did not look at him. 'I won't discuss that with you, Lieutenant, not here and not now. All that matters is that the geth are here and so are we.'

Eagerly, Jenkins tightened the grip on his Lancer. He couldn't have agreed more.

'I'll need covering fire heading down the hill,' Nihlus continued, turning to Jenkins. 'Corporal, you have the range with that rifle of yours. On my word, hit them hard and do so until the lieutenant and I can reach their flanks. Understood?' It was a simple instruction and Jenkins nodded vigorously. 'Good. Stay sharp and trust in your training and you'll make it through this.'

He left Jenkins, summoning Alenko with a gesture. As the lieutenant fell in behind, Jenkins was left alone and he returned his gaze to the Lancer's scope, taking in everything he could. He memorised the geth positions, judged distances and made slight adjustments to his targeting VI.

This time he was the one with the element of surprise and he enjoyed the luxury of time, of being able to prepare for the first shot. When Nihlus' voice snapped into his ears again, it was like the breaking of a dam.

'_Go!'_

Jenkins squeezed the trigger, holding it for a couple of seconds before releasing, firing in bursts as he'd been trained to do. Accurate fire sliced through the shields of the nearest geth, cracking into its frame and spilling white synthetic blood across the ground. Jenkins felt his heart soar as his rifle shuddered beneath him and the invaders of his planet, of his home, fell one by one.

Other snaps and bangs added themselves to the storm and Jenkins eased away as Nihlus and Alenko came in from the side, smashing the last geth into fizzing, sparking scraps.

It was all over in seconds, as it so often was but this time Jenkins felt elation, not terror. He smiled to himself, his lips parting slightly as he lost a little composure. There was no one there to see it but he let out a small laugh, the victory stealing his sensibility. 'Two...three kills,' he said to himself with satisfaction. 'These geth aren't so tough.'

'You can congratulate yourself later,' Nihlus said sternly, cutting in through the comms. 'Get down here. This is something we all need to see.'

Jenkins' mouth hung open, mortified that Nihlus had overheard him. He could've sworn the helmet mic was off, and the corporal mumbled curses to himself as he ran down to the ruin.

**~~ME:LU~~**

Crossing his arms, Nihlus wandered back and forth across the great stone circle. The stray rounds that had struck the ruin during the firefight had barely scratched them, with only the slightest of marks to show a battle had even taken place to begin with.

As Jenkins approached he glanced down at Alenko, who was studying the geth bodies intently. Jenkins didn't know what his superior expected to find but he said nothing, deferring instead to Nihlus as the turian motioned towards the back of the ruin.

'As you can see, we're too late,' the Spectre muttered grimly. 'The geth have the beacon. For all we know, they've managed to get it off-planet already.'

'The Normandy is a frigate, they wouldn't allow any hostile ship to leave without a fight, especially if they have the beacon,' Alenko argued.

Nihlus seemed unconvinced. 'The Normandy is being cautious. That is exactly why we are here to begin with. I wouldn't count on their aid.' He raised his eyes to where a path sloped up sharply from the rear of the site. 'Besides, they don't know the geth have the beacon to begin with. If it's still groundside we need to get it back at all costs.'

Clearing his throat, Jenkins stepped forward, drawing a curious look from Nihlus. 'Nihlus, Sir, I...sorry, I don't really know what to call...'

'I'm not part of your military, Corporal,' Nihlus replied impatiently, 'so you may call me what you like. What is it?'

Unable to completely hide his embarrassment, Jenkins tried to go on. 'Well, Sir, it's just that I'm from around here, 'ya see and I know that there's a monorail station beyond that hill there. It was under construction by the time I left for the Marines but judging by the size of it even back then, I'd say it's the best way to transport anything big and heavy.' He thought for a moment, 'Not that I know how big a prothean beacon's supposed to be or anything. I mean, if it's small enough to fit in your pocket then what I just said is pretty much a waste of time. And uh...not that I know if geth have pockets or anything...'

'That'll do, Corporal,' Alenko said, interrupting his rambling.

Nihlus narrowed his eyes at Jenkins. 'Does this monorail you mention lead anywhere?'

'Sure,' Jenkins nodded, pointing over the hill at Nihlus' back. 'It goes right into the colony's main space port. Come to think of it, if the geth landed there they could've used the monorail to move dozens, maybe even hundreds of their troops into the colony at once.'

'And they'll likely use it to move the beacon out,' Nihlus growled. He braced, his hands checking over the various switches and panels of his pistol. It was an automatic thing, and he spoke as his fingers did their work. 'Take us to the space port, Corporal.'

Jenkins' blood quickened as he took point and took the small group out of the ruin. He felt the responsibility of Nihlus' trust as a leaden weight in his stomach, adding sickness to the excitement that carried him. Still, the chokingly acrid smell in the air was only growing stronger and deep in his heart, Jenkins was suppressing the appalling knowledge that only a short distance away, his family's settlement stood in the middle of it.


End file.
